Combination of symptoms - could they be connected?

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01/25/2022 18:55

Subject: Combination of symptoms - could they be connected?

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Anonymous

I hate that I’m putting this all on DCUM, but here we go. Apologies for how long this is.

DH is 38. Has been an avid runner and cyclist up until a couple years ago.

2 years ago, he had a seizure when we were sitting at home. It was the scariest thing I’ve witnessed. Called 911, spent 5 days in the ER. They tested everything - MRI, CT scan- in terms of his brain and couldn’t find anything wrong and chalked it up to a fluke seizure. The reason he stayed in the hospital so long was because his BP was 220/120 on arrival and they couldn’t get it down until about day 3 with all sorts of meds. While there, they did all sorts of testing on why his BP was so high - echo, eeg, some sort of test on his liver and kidneys, tons of bloodwork, etc - and they couldn’t find anything for his BP either. He was released when they found the right cocktail of BP meds.

He spent 7-9 months physically and mentally drained from getting used to the BP meds and eventually was able to tweak them (under his Dr’s care) down to 3.

About a year ago (so a year after the seizure) he also developed anxiety and mild depression and was put on 10mg of citalopram. It helped, and he then tapered down to 5mg.

About 6 months ago, he started feeling very tired and weak and his Dr sent him to an endocrinologist, where he discovered he had low T and high FSH. He subsequently did a fertility/ sperm test and found out his body doesn’t produce viable sperm. He has a follow up next week to discuss what that all means and to possibly get a referral for a reproductive endocrinologist (having a baby isn’t on our mind right now, despite me being 35 - I just want him healthy).

1.5 months ago, he had another seizure. We never expected it to happen a second time given no evidence of anything in the brain, though I know it’s possible even without that. Again, it was scary, traumatizing, and I think we’re both having some PTSD from it. He ended up in the ER again but they let us go home after about 18 hours. They did do another MRI/ CT scan and again showed nothing. I asked him to talk to his PCP about his possible sleep apnea, and they’ve scheduled a sleep study - I’m going crazy over here on google and looking at anything that may be causing this.

2 weeks ago, he started showing signs that we thought were indicative of having another seizure - he was dizzy, incredibly nauseous (couldn’t stop vomiting), felt “off”, and was just incredibly ill. It’s how he felt 2 months ago before having a seizure. The seizure never came, but these symptoms lasted for about 24 hours and only got worse. I ended up bringing him to the ER because he kept almost passing out, starting to have mini hallucinations, couldn’t keep anything down for over 24 hours at that point, but what was most scary was his anxiety was through the roof and he was having full blown panic attacks - couldn’t stop shaking, had incredibly low mood swings (couldn’t stop crying) etc. They admit him to the ER and within a few hours his Covid test came back positive. They sent him home, but in the meantime had given him 2 IV bags of fluid, an anti-nausea, and a heavy anti- anxiety, all of which helped.
Covid would explain some/ most of that, but I also feel that he could’ve just happen to have Covid (like how many people are testing positive with no symptoms), but something else was going on.

Yesterday, he had a full blown panic attack again. It’s on and off all day - his heart rate was sky high, he was shaking, couldn’t sit still, was having these really low mood swing again (crying on and off), and couldn’t calm down. It lasted on and off all day until he finally went to bed. He was ok when he woke up this morning and has gotten better throughout the day.
He called his PCP this morning first thing and has an appointment on Thurs AM to come in regarding the anxiety attacks. I am hoping he prescribes him something for when it’s that bad, but obviously we want to know what’s causing it.

A little about DH/ his lifestyle:
-His diet is not bad, but not great. Fluctuates between healthy phases and and unhealthy phases. He was drinking a lot - 3 drinks on weeknights and probably 8-10 on weekend nights. It’s been a bone of contention, but since the second seizure he’s cut back and we don’t drink during the week anymore and cut back the weekend amounts. Both sets of anxiety/ panic attacks were after a weekend of drinking, though. I do think it could be related, but wondering why now?
-I am not sure if the hormonal issues/ sperm thing is related
-I do think he has pent up emotions from his childhood (no major trauma but just typical mom/dad issues and how they raised him), and he has a pretty stressful job

What I am asking is - Is there anything else we should be doing? Is there something I am not thinking of? I love him so much and hate to see him in physical and mental pain. I just have to wonder if this could ALL be related - the seizures, the high BP, hormonal issues, anxiety etc — or has he truly just been dealt a bad hand?